LAUSD bus driver recognized by CHP for her commitment to student safety
Tamara Conley received the CHP School Bus Driver of the Year award for her commitment to safety and 36 years of hard work.
Cheers and applause erupted from the Sun Valley bus yard on Tuesday as Tamara Conley received the CHP 2023 School Bus Driver of the Year award.
"This is such a blessing and I'm very overwhelmed, but thank you guys," Conley said.
The award recognizes bus drivers who have shown a commitment to safe driving. Conley, who has been with the Los Angeles Unified School District for 36 years, was selected out of the top eight nominees for the Southern California division.
"At LAUSD alone there are at least 1,200 drivers. So, out of 1,200 drivers in the district itself and along with the rest of drivers in the Southern California area, there's a lot of drivers that she rose above," said LAUSD driver trainer Repondre Deloach.
"She really takes pride in her work. You can see it day in and day out. She gets up early to get the kids, take them to school and then in the afternoon, goes to pick them up and take them back to their homes," said CHP Officer Miguel Luevano. "And today we thought we should come and just say, 'Thank you for the job that you do.'"
For the past 15 years of her career, Conley has held a perfect attendance record. She says she loves what she does and being able to drive students every day has been a rewarding experience.
"They're growing up with you. So, most of their time is spent with us dropping them off to school and then they see us before they see their parents. So, it's like our children. That's what I love about being a bus driver," Conley said.
Conley says she's got a couple more years left until she retires, but her career as a bus driver has been fulfilling thanks to the co-workers she has at LAUSD.
"They are truly our family and I just want to thank everybody," Conley said.
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